| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| disallow |
to refuse to allow or admit; reject. |
| electuary |
a drug mixed with honey, syrup, or the like to form a paste to be smeared on the teeth or gums of a sick animal. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| innocuous |
not capable of causing damage; harmless. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| quotidian |
happening every day or once a day. |
| rodomontade |
puffed-up boasting or bravado. |
| salacious |
excited by lust; lecherous. |
| solecism |
a gross violation of convention in grammar, etiquette, or the like; impropriety. |